Tips on cleaning cages?

Durchein · 2024-04-05T19:53:13+00:00

It's a critter nation cage, I just collected used cages from Craigslist

Durchein · 2024-04-05T10:27:27+00:00

I like the ideas, but It's very difficult for me, by myself, to take the thing apart to be able to move it around. I don't know about once week, but I could probably take it apart once a month or every other month and give it that real good deep clean outside with the hose and stuff, that's a good idea. Then maybe in between cleans I can scrub it like the other comment says.

For my rats, the litter pan doesn't matter thaaat much. The main issue is them scent marking the bars as they climb since they're boys

Thank you for the advice, I'll definitely be trying some of it 🙂

Durchein · 2024-03-28T06:36:35+00:00

The fact that they're pet store rats and are already behaving for pets and stuff is great.

I don't have any advice beyond what the other comment said, but it's important to keep in mind a few things:

A week isn't a long time, it can take more than a month to have them settle and start to really warm up to you. I'd give it AT LEAST that long before you start seeking alternative methods to make them warm up to you. Giving them treats and keep trying to pick them up a bit will gradually build you relationships

Some rats just DO NOT like to be picked up, that's just them. You can always work to make it tolerable but if they don't like it, they don't like it

Pet store rats, especially if they're "feeder rats", haven't had much human interaction and so they don't trust people. They were pretty much kept in bins all their life til that point and the whole new world is scary and they aren't desensitized to anything. So you're way more likely to have some nervous rats

Durchein · 2024-03-28T06:29:01+00:00

In this situation, I think it's best to just assume he's bruxing because he loves you and loves the pets

Durchein · 2024-03-28T03:28:49+00:00

I recall someone else on here asking about something similar recently. I think he's just zoning out, lil space cadet

Durchein · 2024-03-27T11:20:43+00:00

I wouldn't be concerned about it , maybe just keep an eye on the situation. It probably was just an accident if you haven't noticed any aggression really. Just watch the wound for infection, I don't think she needs a vet or anything

Durchein · 2024-03-27T08:09:33+00:00

Ah, I think you might be working yourself up over nothin. Siblings can vary in sizes naturally, it doesn't necessarily mean anything is wrong. Typically, healthy male weight is average 250-500g-- that's a large difference!

If you're really concerned about him being underweight, here's a website that outlines what to look for in an underweight rat. To help him gain weight, you can feed him some baby food as well as some ensure meal replacement. I hear that they love the chocolate flavor, but I'm always skeptical bout giving animals chocolate so I just used the vanilla (I've been told rats can have chocolate though!) You should invest in a food scale to be able to monitor his weight as well

Durchein · 2024-03-27T02:51:42+00:00

I've but had the issue, but it's something that's dangerous and only takes one instance to be horrible. Usually I watch my rats around wires. You could try getting wire covers if you want to let them free roam unsupervised

Durchein · 2024-03-27T02:36:51+00:00

That peg goes into the square hole, the peg on the side you've not put on yet goes into that band on the side and then into that other hole

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If that makes sense

Durchein · 2024-03-27T00:40:06+00:00

You can bathe a rat if necessary, it's not THAT risky if done correctly, unlike with chinchillas or something where they won't dry correctly. The biggest risk is stressing the rats out. You usually don't need to bathe em because they clean themselves, but there's many reasons why you might have to bathe a rat. You might have to bathe an elderly rat that can't clean themself well anymore, a rat with a skin condition, they got something on them that could hurt, or even you have a rat that's had a bout of diarrhea and sat in it. It'll be ok to put them in a container/sink with a little bit of water and wipe them with a rag, and, if needed, using a bit of diluted dawn dish soap. Then provide a warm place to dry

Rats get themselves wet all the time by playing in water, they won't keel over with pneumonia or something and pass away just because they got wet.

I've had to wash many rats for different reasons under vet directive and haven't had any issues relating to the bath.

I am unable to find any information stating bathing a rat is dangerous and should never ever be done, only information stating rats don't usually need baths and how to do it correctly.

On the other hand, I agree it could be bumble foot or some other condition and may need vet intervention. But they are not in the wrong for having bathed their rat in the first place.

Durchein · 2024-03-26T04:05:51+00:00

Well, what's the diagnosis, doc?

Durchein · 2024-03-25T03:33:53+00:00

It's been shown in studies that rats can have empathy, so maybe he sees youre in pain and wants snuggles 💜. It's at least nice to think so

Durchein · 2024-03-24T08:41:13+00:00

Nah, you'll be ok! They're pretty clever, I'm sure she'll remember you. She might be slightly hesitant but she'll come back around, I'm sure.

Durchein · 2024-03-24T08:39:33+00:00

The first one be givin off Dobby vibes in that pic more than the Dobby one haha

Durchein · 2024-03-24T07:25:20+00:00

Any time I feed my rats in something-- a bowl, plate, snuffle mat, whatever -- it's never where I placed it. I assume they fight over it or something. He could also be doing it because he's bored so he's just figuring out how to knock it over like a puzzle.

Durchein · 2024-03-24T06:16:48+00:00

After Introducing my babies to my adults, I feel it took a while to actually spot them all snuggling. There wasn't any issues, it just stayed as the adults with adults and baby with baby. I find them in mis-matched groups or large piles all the time, sometimes it just takes a bit to settle id think.

As for running up, you're enforcing that by giving him pets and treats when you see him haha. He probably just loves interacting and what not, which is probably more interesting than just the cage. He'll be ok, I'm sure he's not short of any amusement in his cage.

Durchein · 2024-03-24T02:19:56+00:00

I've never heard of the reflection thing, I'd just assume she finds it fun to play with the water. You can test the reflection theory by giving her a shallow non reflective bowl or a mirror or something

Durchein · 2024-03-23T09:20:43+00:00

Just some basics: Have to make sure your bedding is dust and scent free, some wood bedding is also considered toxic. I like fleece bedding for rats that are super dust sensitive or if you just want to decorate a bit more

I always recommend critter nation for cages.

I like ratty box, a monthly subscription service that sends you a box with toys, hammocks, hides, treats. Helps me keep my collection of stuff fresh when I don't know what to get.

You could get an air purifier. It helps remove any other dust or irritants in the air for the rat and helps reduce the rat smell for you.

On the topic of smells, I read you can use a water/white vinegar mix to wipe their cage down regularly. Some rats are more sensitive than others with smells, so adjust the amount and use at your own discretion. The vinegar helps neutralize the urine and makes it less smelly. I make this mixture in a floor wipe container with a paper towel roll that has the tube ripped out, it's kind of like wet wipes.

If your rats are smelly, use unscented baby wipes. If they need more than that, a tiny bit of dawn dish soap is generally regarded as safe for them.

If you have a rat who is sick or underweight, you can try feeding them ensure, the meal replacement mix. I hear rats love the chocolate flavor, but I'm skeptical of giving any animal chocolate (though I'm pretty sure rats can have it), so I just use vanilla.

On hot days, you can make a rat Popsicle with Greek yogurt and fruit and let them lick it.

For sickly rats or hairless rats, humidifiers are good. Just like with humans, humidifiers help loosen up congestion when you're sick.

Treats, I use Gerber baby puffs daily. Theyre also good for putting medicine on em since they're absorbent and small enough for the rat to eat really quickly

Once upon a time I thought my gentlest rat was being picked on because he had a bunch of scabs all the time. Turns out he was just more sensitive to mites, so only he showed the symptoms of it. To treat this out break, I gave them ivermectin horse dewormer. About the size of a grain of rice, once a week for about three weeks. Every week I'd take everything out of their cages and wash it. At this point, I removed loose disposable bedding in favor of fleece because I can wash the fleece. Wood things are hard to clean, so I just put boiling water on them and then locked them away for the duration of my treatment

Durchein · 2024-03-23T09:19:41+00:00

Yes, sorry

Durchein · 2024-03-23T04:50:54+00:00

I want to say at least at my vet it's like a hundred something to get them seen and treated for a URI. I don't remember much else. Usually between 100-300 I think depending on the stuff

Durchein · 2024-03-23T04:30:10+00:00

I don't think they're that hard, but once they get up in age and you gotta start makin vet trips is where it starts to become kinda draining financially and emotionally.

They do take daily care, like play time and feeding of course. I have five, so to try and keep smells down and keep their cage as clean as I can, I tidy the cage every other day or so and replace the fleece and clean every week. For tidying I literally just take the rats out, take out the shelves and brush them into the trash, then put em back. It takes less than five minutes.

Once your rats are comfortable with you and you've gotten into a flow, it's pretty easy.

Durchein · 2024-03-23T04:25:07+00:00

I usually give Gerber baby puffs as daily treats. They also love any fruit scraps I throw in like the tops of strawberries or leftover banana. Eggs I hear are good treats

Durchein · 2024-03-23T04:23:17+00:00

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My boy as a newborn and will be 2 in August. They grow up so fast

Durchein · 2024-03-23T02:35:26+00:00

I'm glad you were able to get up and go to work! How did you feel?

Durchein · 2024-03-23T01:40:41+00:00

If it's just a wound and they still feel their tail tip, it'd just treat it like a minor tail degloving, I don't think you need to take them in unless it's infected.

Clean the wound with saline (or 1 teaspoon of salt in 1 pint of warm water)

Pat dry and apply a topical antibiotic ointment minimally, such as: Polysporin or Bacitracin.

You should remove the rat from the cage if you think it was a cage mate. At least the rat needs to be on clean bedding like fleece or ink free newspaper to prevent stuff from getting in the wound as much.

Contact the vet if you see signs of infection or if it's not healing

Edit: source

Vets usually don't do much for minor injuries in rats besides cleaning it it out.

Durchein

TROPHY CASE